


Godmother Games

by IncendiaGlacies



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Timeship Week 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 16:00:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20342803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IncendiaGlacies/pseuds/IncendiaGlacies
Summary: Gideon is determined to impress Jax’s strict mother if it means she gets to be Teeny’s godmother. Even if she has to fake marry Rip. She is that determined. And Rip…doesn’t mind too much.Written for Timeship Week 2019 Day Four: Trope Day





	Godmother Games

Rip stared at the breakfast spread in front of him and then back at Gideon. She smiled sweetly and started piling his plate with pancakes, waffles, French toast, sausage links, bacon strips, scrambled eggs. He stopped her when she tried to balance the toast on top of the large pile. Rip cleared his throat and then gently put the plate down in front of him, patting her hand and nodding to the seat next to him.

Once she was seated, he said, “I thought we agreed you weren’t going to try and overfeed me anymore? I will burst if I eat all this and it will be messy and you will be the one to clean it up, Gideon.”

Gideon rolled her eyes. “This isn’t punishment. But if you insist.” She moved a single strawberry jam away and clapped her hands. “Better.”

Rip blinked and stared at all the food in front of him. Every inch of the table was covered in food. “Really cleared the place up,” he said drily.

“You need to eat. Look at you, withering away into nothing.” She poked his side and tutted. “Honestly, one measly Time Demon drags you into the neverwhere and it’s like you’ve completely let yourself go. Eat.”

Rip decided to stuff his face with the syrup drenched pancakes so he didn’t have to respond to her comments. Like how to him it had felt like all of time and no time at all had passed, nothing and everything all at once. How when he had come back he had been in complete confusion, the Legends were gone, Gideon was human, and Rip had no clue where his place was, what his purpose was. Gideon’s way of letting him deal with his issues was to lock him up in the medbay so she could keep a close eye on him, not let him within fifty yards of the time drive, overstuff him with food, and not give him a moment’s privacy. It had taken her three days to understand that she did not actually have to wait right outside the door when he used the bathroom or went to shower, he would not drown.

In truth, he didn’t mind too much. Overbearing as she was, it was how Gideon had always showed she cared. In the past few months she had calmed down some and wasn’t nearly as much of a mother hen as she could be (though she had called his own mother on him four times now, tattletale). This was one of the larger displays of affection he’d seen in quite some time.

“Should I ask why there’s so much food?”

“I told you. You’re withering away into nothing. A small gust of wind could blow you over, Rip.”

Rip. His heart still skipped a beat whenever she called him by his name. Since he’d gotten back though, she hadn’t given any sign that she might have been interested in exploring what they had once almost had. He supposed it was his own fault for leaving her over and over. But no more. He was staying with her now. She was his home.

Rip placed his hand over hers, thumb rubbing over her knuckles. “Gideon?”

She sighed heavily. “Okay, fine! It’s a bribe.”

“A bribe? For what?”

“Do you remember Mr. Jackson had a little girl? Martina? Little Teeny? Adorable little girl with the warmest brown eyes and cutest little curls and chubby cheeks?”

“The one that stole your heart with just one look after you insisted that you would never again fall for such cheap tricks or trust children after Jonas got peanut butter all over your systems?”

“Yes, that one.”

“What about her?”

“As you know, Mr. Jackson committed a heinous crime when naming her-”

“He honoured Martin with her name, Gideon. You can’t be so self-absorbed to think that you deserve a namesake over his own partner!”

Gideon glared at him. “Yes, I do. Honestly, you’d think the man was dead or something! Just because he retired as a Legend and their Firestorm bond broke doesn’t mean he’s gone forever. He’s just enjoying his time with his grandson now.”

“Gideon.”

She sighed. “Fine, but they didn’t even give me any consideration for the middle name either.”

Rip rubbed her back, trying to comfort her ridiculous dashed dreams. At first, she was stiff and then leaned into his side. “I still don’t understand why you’re bribing me and not him.”

“Teeny is now two years old and Mr. Jackson and his wife feel it is time to pick suitable godparents for the young girl. I have, of course, told them numerous times I am more than capable and ready for the opportunity, but they don’t seem convinced. I believe this is due to my atheist beliefs. At this point I have determined that it is a close tie between myself and Miss Stein for the coveted title of godmother.”

“And?” He waited to see what the catch was, how he fit into her devious plan.

“Mr. Jackson’s mother feels that it would be best for the godparents to be married, should anything ever happen to the Jacksons and she is unable to look after her granddaughter, she wants Teeny to go to a good family unit. Obviously, Miss Stein is married and has a baby. So, I told her that I was married. To you.”

Rip blinked. “Excuse me?”

“We are spending the weekend with them up in a lovely little cabin and at the end of the stay they will have made their choice. So, enjoy your breakfast and then pack your bags. I have a beautiful wedding ring picked out for you.”

“Gideon, you can’t just – we’re not even – you’re lying and-”

“I see bribery isn’t working for you. Perhaps I need to try other methods. You will do this for me.”

“Why?”

Gideon pulled out a piece of paper from her back pocket and laid it flat in front of him. “I wrote down every time you didn’t allow me to enjoy my time with Jonas.”

Rip snatched up the paper and looked over it. “The first thing you have on here is Jonas. Just the word ‘Jonas’.”

“You didn’t name him after me.”

“His middle name was Gideon.” Which was more than he could say for Martina Louise Jackson.

“But not his first. A disgrace, really.”

Rip clenched his jaw and counted back from ten. “What’s this one? Special outings?”

“You did not allow me to take him out for playdates.”

“You were an Artificial Intelligence. You had no body to go out with him with.”

“I was however in charge and linked to a timeship. I could have taken him anywhere and you still refused.”

“He wanted to go to Mars.”

“It would have been a brilliant adventure, exploring a brave new world.”

“He was three!”

“Your point?”

Rip shook his head. “What about this one? Nutrition consultation.”

“You didn’t allow me to feed him.”

“Every time he cried you gave him candy and cookies and chocolate and ice cream and peppermints. You spoiled him, Gideon.”

“He was just so cute. I wasn’t heartless like you. Besides, I made sure he ate his vegetables as well.”

“You counted one green bean as a serving of vegetables.”

“See? He got his greens.”

Rip groaned and put the paper down, rubbing his hands over his face. “Gideon, I don’t feel comfortable lying like this.”

“Rip, I’m not asking you to actually marry me or to replace Miranda,” she said seriously, “I know you never could. But for all my ridiculousness, you know I would have never allowed any harm to come to Jonas if I could help it, don’t you?”

Rip swallowed and looked at the uncharacteristically serious look on her face and nodded. “I know,” he said hoarsely. She had rebelled against the Time Masters, tried to change time for him, for Jonas.

“I just want that same chance with Martina. A chance to teach her, play with her, protect her, and watch her grow up as I couldn’t with Jonas. I can’t do that if I don’t even have a fair fighting chance.”

Rip looked at her large grey eyes, the way she jutted out her lip just so. He knew he was a goner in seconds.

“Okay, fine. I guess you can call me Mr. Gideon.”

Gideon squealed and threw herself at him with such force, Rip nearly fell off his seat. Not that he minded that much.

* * *

Gideon had insisted he wear the blue suit. Never mind that they had known Mr. Jackson for ages and he was more comfortable in his duster and far too overdressed, Gideon wanted him in his blue suit. As she had told him about a thousand times, she wanted everything to be perfect. That was the only reason Rip could think of why she spent nearly ten minutes ‘fixing’ his already perfect tie.

Rip thought that if she ever wanted to leave the Waverider, Gideon could have quite a lucrative career in acting. She certainly knew how to lay it on thick. From the second they had arrived at the cabin, there wasn’t a moment she wasn’t touching him in some way. A hand in his, on his back, brushing over his arm, kisses on his cheek far too close to his lips, once on his neck. Even during dinner, her hand was placed on his thigh for nearly the entire meal.

It was maddening. His thoughts were in a fog and he couldn’t think straight with her this close to him. Not when all he wanted to do was push her against the nearest flat surface and kiss her senselessly. But he couldn’t. Because this was all pretend to her, no matter how much Rip may have wanted otherwise.

“I didn’t know the two of you were married,” Martin spoke up, eyeing their joined hands.

“Well we are.” Gideon squeezed his hand tighter and kissed his cheek again. “And we couldn’t be happier, could we, darling?”

Rip raised an eyebrow. Perhaps laying it on a bit too thick. Everyone knew she hated pet names. Beside him, Jax, who knew the truth, snorted a little.

“How long have you two been married?” Jax’s mother, Helen, asked.

Gideon was too busy glaring at Lily playing with both little Ronnie and Teeny to answer. So, Rip did. “Recently,” he said. “Hardly feels real, still.” He felt horrible lying, especially to Jax’s mother.

“Well, we are very happy to have you.”

“Thank you,” Gideon said.

Rip thought it was a bit much. The Steins and Jacksons operated as one family unit at this point. Clarissa, Martin, Lily, and Ronnie (Lily’s husband was unable to make the trip and Rip was too scared to ask if this had been Gideon’s doing) were regulars at the Jackson household. Rip and Gideon may well have been strangers.

But it didn’t stop Gideon from trying. She insisted on being the nice, normal couple. Rip wasn’t sure where she was getting her information from, what ridiculous trashy media she was watching now, but he was fairly certain normal twenty-first century married couples were not this dressed up. With his suit, and her hair done up, and pearl necklace, blue dress to match him, makeup done to make her eyes look even more gorgeous than they already were.

Rip thought it was all a bit much and he wasn’t just saying that because his heart skipped a beat when he first saw her.

“I’ll get dessert,” Jax’s wife, Maria, said. She took Teeny and placed her back in her high chair next to Gideon, making the woman smile, and gave her daughter a kiss.

While Maria was gone, Rip tried to strike up a conversation with Martin on his latest scientific work. They were one of a kind, even retired they could never stop working and given the look in Clarissa’s eyes, she found it as amusing as Miranda had with him.

Beside him, Gideon took Teeny’s little hand in her own and listened to her babble, adding insightful thoughts of her own. She dug through her purse and pulled out a small chocolate for her. Teeny seemed more fascinated by the shiny wrapper than the sweet confection inside.

Gideon looked up when she felt eyes on her and saw most of the table staring at her. “It’s completely nut free and not so small as to be a choking hazard. I checked the labels and everything.”

Rip shook his head fondly at her and pressed a kiss to her hair before he could stop himself. Gideon gave him a confused glance for half a second before Teeny shrieked and Gideon turned her attention back to the little girl.

“She really does love your little girl,” Rip murmured in a low voice to Jax. He had seen her this way only once before, with Jonas.

“I know.”

“She means well.” Rip watched as another chocolate appeared out of nowhere. “But make sure you set limits on the sweets or your daughter will be on a sugar high forever.”

* * *

“I can’t believe there’s only one bed.”

“You sound like a broken record,” Gideon berated him. “We’re married, what did you expect?”

“We’re not married!”

The smile on her face dimmed a little and she stepped forward, stripping of his tie and jacket. “We’ve known each other for nearly two decades. We’re a little married,” she murmured softly.

Rip swallowed the lump in his throat. Being this close to her made him dizzy. “Maybe a little.”

“I assume given your sleeping patterns you will want the right side of the bed?”

“Yes, I usually – how do you know how I sleep?”

“Did you forget I was an AI with cameras everywhere? I’ve seen everything.”

“Everything?” he asked nervously, the back of his neck heating up.

Gideon raked her eyes over his body and smirked. “Everything,” she whispered in his ear, patting his chest once. “So there’s really no point in acting all modest now. Go ahead and change for bed.”

“No.”

“No? What do you mean, no?” Gideon shook her head and started undoing the buttons on his shirt. “Honestly, Rip, you don’t have to be so modest. I’ve seen you in the shower, I’ve seen you naked, I’ve even seen you make love to Miranda and now you want to-”

“Gideon!” Rip grabbed hold of her hands and looked at her intensely. “Forgive me for wanting to be a gentleman.” She snorted at his words. “Please. I just need a little privacy. And I’m sure you do too.”

“Fine.” She turned her back to him. “I’ll leave you your modesty. Just unzip me a little and undo the necklace for me? I’ll finish the rest in the bathroom. I’m sure no one will find it even the slightest bit strange that a husband and wife can’t stand to be in the same room together.”

Rip decided not to respond to her sarcasm and unhooked her necklace, placing it in the palm of her hand. Then he undid the zipper on the dress halfway, so it wouldn’t completely fall off and brushed his lips against the back of her neck. For a second, he thought he might have heard her breathe sharply.

“I’ll see you when you’re decent,” she said quickly, grabbing her pajamas and leaving the room.

He sighed and quickly changed into a loose shirt and pants. By the time Gideon returned, his suit was hanging in the closet and Rip was dragging his pillow off the bed.

“What are you doing?” Gideon asked.

Rip paused. “I thought you would want the bed to yourself. I know how you like to sprawl out.” For such a tiny woman she took up so much space.

“Don’t be silly.” Gideon grabbed the pillow from his hand and fluffed it up, placing it back on the bed. “I can share, just this once. Now take a seat.”

“Why?” he asked, even as he did what she said.

Gideon turned to her suitcase and pulled out a stethoscope. “You’re due for a quick medical checkup.”

Rip fought the urge to groan loudly. “Gideon, we’ve been through this. I am perfectly fine-”

“Your skin was very flushed for the majority of today. I fear it might be heatstroke.” She grimaced at the stethoscope. “Rudimentary at best, but it will have to do.”

She put the device on and pressed forward to try and hear his heartbeat. Rip caught her hand at the last second and pulled the stethoscope off her.

“Rip!”

“I am fine,” he said gently but firmly. “Gideon, you are not going to lose me. Not again. I promise.”

“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,” she whispered.

“I’m not. You’re going to have me. Always.” He cupped her cheek and pressed their foreheads together. “Try and get some sleep, okay? Tomorrow is another day with Teeny after all.”

At least that thought put a smile on her face. She kissed his cheek even though no one was watching and pulled the covers back on the bed. Rip stood up and turned in a circle, once, twice.

“What are you doing?”

“I was looking to see if Jax had any extra blankets. Then I can sleep on the covers and-”

“Are you really that scared to share a bed with me?”

“No.” Yes.

“Rip. Get in bed. Now.”

He swallowed. “Yes, Gideon.”

He turned off the lights and made his way back to the bed. Slowly, he got under the covers with her, lying down stiffly on his side of the bed and stared up at the dark ceiling. He felt the mattress dip near him and creak and then Gideon’s arm slid around him, her head coming to rest on his chest.

“Am I your pillow now too?” he whispered, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her hair.

She sighed happily. “I forgot to bring my teddy bear, so you’ll have to do.”

“Happy to oblige.”

“Thought you might be.” She hugged him more securely. “Rip, your heartbeat seems fast and rhythmically incorrect. Are you sure you wouldn’t like just one quick medical examina-”

“Good night, Gideon.” The last thing he wanted to do was explain that the reason for his blushing and heart palpitations and other symptoms were all due to her. He stroked her hair, the weight of the fake wedding ring feeling impossibly heavy and perfectly right.

“Fine, be that way. Good night, Rip.”

He stayed up much longer, just listening to her breathing slow as she fell asleep. Eventually, his body calmed, getting used to her closeness and found comfort in her body next to his, and Rip found himself drifting off as well.

* * *

“Look at her.” Gideon glowered at Lily across the room. “Feeding them cookie dough, making them love her. It could cause salmonella, you know?”

Rip gave her a bemused look. “Is that why you used to give Jonas bits of cookie dough before preheating the oven?”

Gideon blushed. “I’ll have you know that my cookie dough was perfectly safe for human consumption.”

“I am sure Lily knows what she’s doing.”

“Whose side are you on here?” she hissed at him. “It is clear that Martina and Clarissa are only here to sabotage my chances at becoming godmother. Probably feeding the grandmother plentiful lies about their beloved little daughter now.”

Rip eyed the older couple talking with Jax’s mother in the living room. Jax and Maria had taken a stroll while Lily promised to look after the kids. Rip thought it was kind, Gideon thought it was manipulative.

“I very much doubt that.”

Gideon huffed. “Oh, what do you know anyway? You never even picked godparents.”

“Maybe not in the traditional sense.” He and Miranda were hardly religious. “But we always knew who Jonas would go to if something happened to us.”

“I’m sure Mary would have raised him well.”

“And you,” he said softly, reaching out for her hand. She stopped and looked away, wiping her eyes. “You would have taken very good care of him, Gideon. I know how much you adored him.”

“I did.”

“If you were-” he hated saying this part, true as it was “-if you weren’t – if you had been…”

“Human?” she said bitterly.

Rip looked down. “There were limitations to raising a child with no physical manifestation. I’m sure you can understand our concerns.”

“I understand perfectly,” she said coolly. Gideon walked past him and grabbed the ingredients from the pantry. She poured the flour into the bowl with jerky moves.

“Gideon, please. You know you were my first choice-”

“Like how I was your first choice for naming him?”

Rip didn’t back down. “I had my reasons.”

“You preferred Mr. Hex. I understand perfectly, Captain.”

“Don’t. Don’t do that.” He took her hands and made her face him, cupping her face. “There was only one you. There would only ever be one you that mattered to me. I didn’t want to name Jonas after you because you were the only Gideon that mattered to me and I wouldn’t have it any other way. You were my favourite Gideon. You still are.”

Gideon looked down and cleared her throat. “You’re – you’re very good at the speeches. You should give one to Mr. Jackson, persuading him to choose me. Oh, or you can write me a reference letter. Oh yes, it will be perfect!”

Rip laughed and pulled her into his arms for a hug. “How about we start with making these cookies that you want to bribe Teeny with?”

“They’re not a bribe, they’re just-” Gideon’s eyes wandered to the toddler laughing with Lily and Ronnie. “Okay, fine. It’s a bribe. If she wants to play dirty, we’ll play dirty.”

Rip wasn’t entirely sure what the rules of the game even were or who the judge was anymore.

“And you know I’m not the best cook or baker.”

It was true. Rip had just barely saved the Waverider from going up in flames on more than one occasion.

“So, how about you make the cookies and I’ll watch? Taste test for any possible poisoning.” She dipped her finger in the flour and swiped it over his nose. “Especially the chocolate chips.”

Rip’s heart raced again, noticing how close she was. He could probably count her eyelashes if he wanted to. “As you wish,” he whispered.

Gideon’s lips parted at the use of her usual expression, there was a faint dusting of red on her cheeks that Rip didn’t want to give any weight to. One second there was a deer in headlights look about her and the next she was covered head to toe in flour, looking like a snow angel.

Rip grinned, taking his raised arm with a now empty bowl down. Even covered in flour, she looked adorable, gaping and spitting and trying to wipe the white powder off her. Around them everyone was laughing, especially Teeny.

“Very mature, Captain. You know, I think you need a hug.”

Rip’s eyes widened. “No, Gideon, don’t-”

She was too quick and wrapped her arms around him before he could move out of the way. In an effort to get her off him, he tripped backwards and they both went tumbling down. A shower of flour, sugar, and chocolate chips followed them as Gideon’s arm knocked over the bags.

“Oh my gosh, are you two okay?” Lily came running over, worry in her eyes.

Rip was fairly certain they looked ridiculous, covered in white powder and chocolate chips scattered over Gideon’s hair. But he found, holding Gideon as she laughed against him, eyes bright with happiness, she was as beautiful as ever.

* * *

“Gideon, you didn’t have to bring her presents.” Jax said again.

“Don’t be silly. I wasn’t there at her christening. She deserves them now.”

“You’re not religious.”

“And?”

Jax shook his head and shot Rip a look as if to say this was somehow his fault (it was not, he’d never had any control over Gideon’s actions from the start, despite what he wanted to think) and Rip shrugged in response.

Gideon sat on the floor with Teeny in her lap, bestowing kisses to the little girl’s cheek every thirty seconds, making her laugh. Lily took one of the armchairs with Ronnie in her lap while Rip took the other. The parents had the couch and Maria was on the loveseat with Jax.

“Do you want to see what your Aunty Gideon got you?” Gideon placed a large gift bag, nearly as big as Teeny was in front of her.

“Gideon…”

“She deserves it, Mr. Jackson!”

“It’s how she spoils them,” Rip whispered leaning over to Jax and Maria. “It’s best to just leave her be. Truly, she means well.”

Gideon helped Teeny pull out all the decorative tissue paper. Then she held onto the toddler and allowed Teeny to pull out a large stuffed giraffe. While it wasn’t actually that big, it certainly looked it next to the small girl.

“What do you think? Do you like it?” Gideon asked her nervously.

“Gwaff!” Teeny squeezed the giraffe and bit the ear.

“I think she likes it.” Maria came over and took Teeny in her arms, leaving a very upset Gideon on the floor. “Say thank you, Teeny.”

Teeny looked at her mother and then at her giraffe and blew a raspberry. Maria shook her head and bounced her daughter slightly. “Say thank you to Gideon,” she said again.

“Giddy!” Teeny tried to copy her mother and squealed. She pressed her hand to her mouth and held out her hand to Gideon.

She smiled at the baby. “You’re very welcome, Teeny.”

“It’s a lovely gesture,” Martin said warmly as Clarissa nodded along.

Gideon cleared her throat and started cleaning up while everyone else started to discuss what movie to watch. Rip bent down and helped her grab the extra tissue paper.

“I’m sure she really appreciates it,” he said quietly. Gideon gave him a sad smile in return, no doubt remembering all the presents she had bestowed on Jonas and won his love with.

“It should be Disney for the kids.”

“Star Wars is Disney, technically speaking.”

“What do you think, Gideon?” Helen asked her.

Gideon’s eyes widened at being addressed. “Oh, I – uh – I’ve always enjoyed _The Princess Bride_.”

“It’s a classic.” Helen nodded approvingly. “Jax, put that one on.”

Jax sighed and rolled his eyes good-naturedly, having lost the battle and went to go start the movie. Rip took his seat and Gideon looked around, quickly realizing there was no other place to sit. Rather than bring in a chair from another room, she simply settled down in Rip’s lap and pulled a blanket over them.

She was going to give him a heart attack one of these days. And probably soon.

“I think I’m winning her over,” Gideon whispered in his ear.

“Hmmm?” He was having trouble concentrating when Gideon’s warm breath tickled his ear and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

“Helen. I might actually win, Rip!” She kissed his cheek enthusiastically.

Rip patted her back, catching an amused look from Jax in their direction. Those looks were becoming a common occurrence lately. No doubt the other man knew how Rip truly felt about Gideon.

“Let’s just watch the movie. It’s your favourite.”

Gideon hummed but it wasn’t long until she settled down, engrossed in the movie. She whispered along her favourite lines, murmuring ‘as you wish’ in his ear the same time as Westley did to Buttercup. Rip wished it meant ‘I love you’ from her as it did from the character.

And even though she knew every scene by heart, she still jumped with every scare, held him close at every attack, and cheered with every victory. It was horribly distracting to Rip who had a hard enough time trying to concentrate on the movie when Gideon was so close. Every now and then she would kiss his cheek again and on one memorable occasion, his neck as she whispered an ‘as you wish’ against him.

She was utterly maddening in the best possible way.

When the movie finished everyone got up. Jax and Maria went to put Teeny down for a nap. Martin and Clarissa were off to find an old board game. Lily was taking Ronnie out for a walk with Jax’s mother. Which left Gideon and Rip to be the last ones to wander out.

“So what shall we do?” Gideon asked as she stretched and stood up. Rip took the blanket and kept himself covered up.

“Not sure, any ideas?”

“Perhaps we can join Professor Stein and his wife for a board game. I’m sure he would love a rematch of chess. Shall we?”

Rip thought about it. “You go on ahead. I’ll catch up.”

“Rip?”

“Yes?”

“Get up.”

“I can’t.”

“Captain Hunter,” Gideon narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, “I insist you stand up right this second-”

“I can’t!” He physically gritted his teeth. “I physically cannot move, Gideon.” Not without completely humiliating himself.

“Why not?”

He could feel himself going red. “You were in my lap,” he hissed.

“Yes, I remember. You were quite comfy.”

“Glad you think so,” he muttered. “My body reacted as much as I tried not to.” But easier said than done when the woman he found attractive and was in love was all over him for two hours.

Gideon’s frown deepened before understanding dawned in her eyes and her lips parted. “Oh. You have an erection?”

Rip wanted to die. He wanted to be swallowed whole by the earth. He was fairly certain he would combust into flames any second.

“Captain, why are you looking away? This is perfectly natural and means you are still quite in the prime of your youth. I mean, just this morning you were also quite erec-”

“Gideon! Please stop! I am begging you!”

She frowned and bit her lip but stopped talking. Rip sighed.

“Just go on ahead. I just need a few minutes to…calm down.”

Gideon’s gaze dropped to his lap, blushing slightly. She twisted the fake wedding ring on her finger (it had become a nervous habit of late to her, it seemed), nodded, and started to walk out of the room, pausing to kiss his cheek. “As you wish,” she whispered before she left.

Rip sighed and hung his head back. She would be the death of him.

* * *

Rip leaned against the side of the door as he watched Gideon put Teeny to bed. Lily did it last night and tonight it was Gideon, which she was delighted with. She had read the little girl _Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel_, and _Little Red Riding Hood_ and was now on her third round of _Twinkle Twinkle Little Star_. It seemed as though the small child was finally tuckered out.

Teeny yawned and cuddled her stuffed giraffe as she closed her eyes. Gideon kissed the top of her head and turned on the night light for her, not moving an inch. Rip stepped forward, knowing if he didn’t get her now, she would never go to bed.

“Come on, let’s go to bed,” he whispered.

Gideon looked up at him and nodded to her finger, still clutched by Teeny. “She’s so small. So perfect. I love her so much already.”

Rip swallowed, suddenly worried this would end far worse than he imagined. “I know you do,” he whispered gruffly. He kissed the top of her head. “Come to bed.”

She looked upset but nodded and kissed Teeny lightly again so as to not wake her and stood up, slowly letting Teeny’s tiny hand fall off and grip her giraffe instead. Rip put an arm around Gideon’s waist and made sure the baby monitor was set up for Jax and Maria and then led her out of the room.

“Uh oh,” Gideon said as Rip closed their bedroom door behind them, “you have your serious face on.”

“This is my normal face. It just looks more serious because of the beard. Knew I should have kept myself cleanshaven.”

“Absolutely not.” She wrapped her arms around his neck as his fell easily to her waist. “You look better with the beard. Much more roguishly handsome.”

“Glad you approve.”

“Now, why the serious face?” She poked his cheek.

Rip saw that he wasn’t getting out of this one that easily. Taking her hand, he led her to the bed and they both sat down. He held onto her hands as she spoke. “I think that you would be a great godmother. I’ve thought that since Jonas was born. You loved him and protected him and I know you would do the same for Teeny. Mr. Jackson would be lucky to pick you.”

“But?”

He swallowed and looked down. “I just don’t want you to be heartbroken if he doesn’t.”

Gideon pulled her hands away and stood up. “You think he won’t? You think he’ll pick Lily?”

“I don’t know, Gideon. I just can’t bear to see you upset.” He could see her eyes start to shine with tears and stood up, reaching out for her once more. “It’s okay. Just because you might not be her godmother doesn’t mean you won’t be a part of her life.”

“You don’t understand!” Gideon slapped his hand away and wrapped her arms around herself. “She’s my only chance.”

“Your only chance at what Gideon?” he asked softly.

She shook her head as a tear rolled down her cheek. “Everything. You know I can’t have children of my own.”

“I know.” He remembered holding her as she cried when they confirmed the impossibility.

“And you’re certainly not going to have children again and if neither of us have heirs, then what happens to the _Waverider_ when we’re gone? Who looks after her? She needs a Captain.”

“Oh, Gideon.” Rip reached out again. “We will find her a Captain. Before we go.”

“You don’t know that!” Gideon stepped back and shook her head. “You don’t get it! You – you can disappear at any time and I’ll be alone again. It was the cruelest thing to wake up human and alone in the world. If I lose you again…”

“You won’t, Gideon. I promise you, you won’t.”

“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,” she whispered. “I don’t have anyone, Rip. No one but the _Waverider_. I have no love to take care of me, no child, nothing. Teeny is my only chance at any of that. Having love, stability, a family.”

“Gideon, that’s not true and you know it.” He put her hands on her arms and refused to let her shake him off. “Look at me. Gideon, look at me.”

Finally, she did with big tearful eyes. His heart ached for her and the horrible misunderstanding between them.

“You have me, Gideon. You will always have me just as I will always have you.”

“But not like that. Not how I want.”

“How do you want it?” he whispered, eyes dropping to her lips for a brief second, his voice growing husky.

Gideon said nothing, refused to even look at him. Rip wiped a tear away from her eye.

“I love you,” he said simply.

“I know you do.”

“Clearly, you don’t. I’m your family, Gideon. I love you, I have always loved you, always cared for you, and despite my mistakes, I have never wanted to leave you. Gideon, I am in love with you.”

Her gaze snapped back to him. “You shouldn’t say things you don’t mean,” she whispered.

He took a step closer and held her chin. “Gideon, I have made many mistakes, kept many secrets, told a dozen white lies and many more worse ones, but have you ever known me to say something I don’t mean when it comes to my emotions?” He looked her in the eyes. “I mean it. I am in love with you. Madly, hopelessly, desperately, and I – mmm!”

Her lips collided against his and he held onto her waist to steady her as she grasped onto his neck. It was so much like their first kiss and also so much better in so many ways. He never wanted it to end but like all good things, it did. He breathed heavily as he rested his forehead against hers.

“So, does this mean that you-”

“I love you too,” she whispered. “I always have, and I always will. I just thought that you weren’t ready, after losing Miranda – that you didn’t want me. After you came back you never mentioned it or hinted at it and all we had was that one kiss and if you thought it was a mistake-”

“It wasn’t,” he said forcefully, “It could never be a mistake. I was just too scared to tell you. I’m sorry. But now you’re stuck with me. Forever.”

“Forever sounds perfect.”

Rip couldn’t think of a better response than that and let her push him onto the bed to kiss him again.

* * *

Gideon crossed her legs and held onto Rip’s hand so tight that he thought he might lose circulation. With his other hand he rubbed her back and smiled at Jax, silently pleading for him to get on with it.

“So, we’ve come to a decision,” Jax said.

“I’m sure whatever you and your wife decided will be a fair and wise decision,” Martin said, an arm around his daughter.

Gideon glared at the Steins as if they were conspiring against her. Rip held her tighter and made her look at Jax instead.

Jax cleared his throat. “We decided on both of you as godmothers.”

“Oh, that’s great!” Lily gushed.

“What a cop out!”

“Gideon!”

“We spent an entire weekend trying to be the perfect couple and you go ahead and pick the both of us?” Gideon demanded, ignoring Rip’s attempts to calm her down. “What happened to godparents being a stable family unit? Wait, am I supposed to marry Miss Stein now?” Gideon looked Lily over and smiled. “She’s smart and pretty. I’ll do it. Shall I buy you a ring?”

“Gideon!” Rip pulled her back down next to him before she could propose officially. They had only been together for a matter of twelve hours and already she wanted someone new!

Lily laughed good-naturedly. “I appreciate the sentiment, Gideon, but I’m already married, remember?”

“Oh, right.”

Rip didn’t like how disappointed she looked at that.

He turned to Jax. “I have to admit, I don’t really understand the point of this weekend if you were just going to pick the both of them.”

Jax shrugged. “We wanted Teeny to meet all the people that loved her.”

“And being married?”

“Not really a requirement.” Maria grinned at them. “But we admire the commitment to pretending.”

“You knew?”

“Of course, she knew,” Jax said easily, putting an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “We all knew.”

“You all-” Rip spluttered as he looked around the smiling group. “But your mother – you said – and we-”

“Rip, I am never going to lie to my mother about anything.”

“It wasn’t a lie that I wanted a married couple,” Helen said kindly. “But it was clear that Gideon really does love Teeny and just wants the best for her.”

“So you just let us go on pretending to be lovestruck fools for the entirety of this weekend?”

“I thought it’d help you realize your feelings for each other,” Jax said sagely. “I’m surprised Gideon didn’t figure it out earlier. It’s a classic romcom trope.”

“I can’t believe you allowed us to be fake married for an entire two days. And that you pestered us about it too, Martin. How could you?” Rip asked, somewhat hurt.

“It was rather entertaining, I apologize, Rip. But I was impressed with how closely you two stuck to your story and committed to the fake marriage.”

“Not exactly fake,” Gideon muttered under her breath.

“Excuse me?” Rip turned to look at her.

Gideon bit her lip. “Well, I wasn’t sure how much investigating Helen would do, so I went the whole nine yards, just in case.”

“Gideon, what did you do?”

“I might have filed a backdated marriage license with the court. We’ve been married for a year and a half if anyone asks.”

Jax burst out laughing as Rip gaped at her like a goldfish. “You – how did you even get my signature on it?”

“Forged it like I always do,” she said easily.

Rip groaned loudly.

“Oh, don’t be angry with me.” Gideon hugged him from the side and kissed his cheek. He fought hard to keep his ire but it was washing away quickly with that big wide-eyed look she was giving him. “I’ll have it annulled immediately. And none of them will be invited to our divorce ceremony. Except of course my goddaughter. I have the paperwork ready for you to sign by the way, Mr. Jackson.”

“Sure you didn’t forge my signature on that too?” Jax joked.

Gideon looked down sheepishly. “I’ll make a fresh copy.”

Jax shook his head. “See that you do.”

“I will. Now can I please, please have my sweet little goddaughter?” Gideon begged them.

With a sigh, Jax waved his wife over and Maria deposited the toddler into Gideon’s awaiting arms. Rip watched as the rest of the crowd parted ways, leaving only the three of them on the couch. Gideon bounced Teeny on her knee, letting the little girl play with her necklace.

“My sweet Little Captain. You’ll be amazing, I know you will,” she whispered softly, kissing her hair.

“You really love her a lot,” Rip said quietly.

Gideon glanced at him. “More than I thought possible after losing Jonas.”

Rip squeezed her hand and kissed it. “Don’t annul it.”

“What?”

“Our marriage. Keep it.”

“Why?”

“I would have asked you eventually, this just saves us time and money and we can pretend that we weren’t idiots for the past few years.”

“You mean that you weren’t an idiot.”

Rip rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, sweet, darling, dear wife of mine.”

Gideon’s expression soured as she held a fascinated Teeny. “Okay, you’re right. The pet names and endearments are too much. I don’t like them. Just Gideon is fine.”

He laughed and gave his (very real) wife a kiss. “As you wish.”


End file.
